Since I struggled to find a writer subscription box, I wanted to do this review, so you can make the decision if the Scribbler subscription box is right for you. In this blog post, I will cover the items featured in the box, the value of the box, and if the box was writer focused enough.
Items in the Box
The First Child by Amy Harmon
Estimated value $10.99
The largest item featured in the Scribbler box is a book called The First Child. The book given is a companion to the Writing Passport and the Publishing Process Inside Look. The author, Amy Harmon shows a sample of where The First Child began before being edited in the Publishing Process Inside Look. She also writes an essay about storytelling in the Writing Passport.
The book itself features Amy Harmon’s signature printed on the first page. The First Girl Child is a substantial, full novel. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but I can say it is a quality book if you enjoy books involving kingdoms and magic. This is not a book that was on my radar, so I’m glad that it was included in the box. I believe the book fits the box theme, storytelling, well because of how involved the story is with world-building and with telling stories of multiple characters. Harmon is amazing at crafting a rich story and can be studied easily for writing craft.
To see if this book is right for you to purchase outside of the box, here is the blurb from the publisher: “Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.
Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.
Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.
What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.”
Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.
Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.
What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.”
Big Heart Tea Royal Treatmint Loose Leaf Tea
Estimated value $8.99
The next large item featured in the box is mint and lavender loose leaf tea. The mint and lavender scent of this tea permeated the box as I was opening it, so I’m assuming it’s good quality. I’m not a tea drinker, nor do I like mint, so this item is wasted on me. I do plan on keeping it in my coffee station though for guests because it seems like a quality tea. According to Big Heart Tea’s website, it is made with all organic herbs and meant to be relaxing, while also stimulating. The tea being called Royal Treatmint is also a great play on Harmon’s novel since it includes a royal family. While this may not directly follow the storytelling theme, it does seem to be thoughtfully included.
Write On Sticky Note Book
Estimated value $7 based on comparable products on Amazon
I love stationery supplies, so the sticky note book speaks to my heart. The royal blue color is beautiful for Instagram shots and the sticky notes are actually functional. I always find myself coming up with ideas at random times, so it is nice to have a writing only notes area for me to throw in my work bag. The adhesive on the notes isn’t as strong as a name brand Post It note, but it will get the job done. Just don’t expect to set up a whole brainstorming wall with these.
Book Light
Estimated value $10 based on comparable products on Amazon
Of all the items included in the box, I feel like the book light would be the most “cop-out” item. The booklight is branded by Scribbler, which makes it more unique, but it is a standard book light. It has a sliding switch and a clip to attach it to the book. This will be nice for power outages, but I don’t find myself getting a lot of use out of it.
Writing Passport
Estimated value $5
The Writing Passport is Scribbler’s signature item in each box. It covers the box’s theme and provides writing tips. This month’s writing passport featured four steps from Scribbler on storytelling and an essay from Amy Harmon on storytelling. The advice given by Scribbler is simple and solid, but what really shines here is Harmon’s essay. In her essay, Harmon discusses finding the right rhythm for your story that will enthrall readers. I enjoyed her essay immensely and found it thought-provoking. I’m not sure if I would pay $5 for the Writing Passport as they have them listed in their online store, but the Writing Passport is what gives this box a writer feel. Without this item, I feel like the box would read as a reader subscription box, so this item is crucial.
Other Postcards, etc.
Estimated Value ?As far as the rest of the paper items in the box, they were more filler than anything else. I did enjoy the Publishing Process Inside Look, because it featured real editor notes to the author that I can study and implement in my own writing and critiques.
The print is nice and good quality, it’s just not completely my style. I will hang it though when I decide to redo my office space.
I haven’t been to the exclusive editor chat yet, so I’m not sure how much value that will be to me. After going to the chat, I will come back here and update this post with my thoughts.
However, the Scribbler Writing Contest postcard has a cute print on the back of it that I plan to hang in my work cubicle. Not really necessary, but a nice touch.
Final Thoughts
As far as the value of the box goes, the items in the box make up the amount I paid overall. I wouldn’t consider this box to be a crazy value like FabFitFun or similar “pay $40 and get $150 value in items” subscription box. To me, the Scribbler subscription box reads more as curated items that writers may enjoy. If you're wanting to purchase a subscription box for a crazy value, this isn’t the box for you.
The question that weighed on my mind the most while writing this review is, “Is this box writer focused enough to make it unique?” There are tons of reader related boxes, but not a lot for writers. Scribbler stood out to me because it marketed itself to novelists. With the extra pamphlets included in the box, I believe it tips the point to being a writer-focused box. However, the actual objects in the box read more reader-based to me. I think if you enjoy books and want to add “writerish” objects, this could be a great subscription box to try.
If you enjoyed this subscription box review, please let me know in the comments if there are any other subscription boxes in the writing/reading niche you wany me to review. As always, happy writing!
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